Stories from Quick Reads and Olympics
Mexican Protesters Show Creative Activism
@faeriedevilish, blogging for Infoactivismo, reflects on the need to be creative in communicating our protests. Along those lines, the author explains the importance of creativity while referring to protesting events in Ayotzinapa, where photocopies of the victims’ faces were used to attract and generate awareness about the terrible incidents. Illustrators...
The Only Pakistani at the Sochi Olympics Taught Himself to Ski on Wooden Planks
While he has growing up in northern Pakistan, close to some of the highest slopes in the world, Mohammad Karim taught himself to ski on home-made equipment made by his uncle from wooden planks. Now he is his Pakistan’s sole representative at the Sochi Winter Olympics. More about his journey in this...
LGBT-Friendly Coloring Books for Russians
Activists from the LGBT equality T-shirt company FCKH8.com are planning to send 10,000 copies of a pro-gay coloring book titled “Misha and His Two Mothers” to families with children in Moscow and Sochi, prior to the 2014 Winter Olympics. The book's core message, captured by the catchphrase “Gay Is Okay!”...
Germany: Improve Reporting on Disabled People
It ought to become something understood in the language that disabled people do things not in spite of or because of, but with their disabilities. During the Paralympics in London there have been more and more reports on “against-it-all people” or “supercripples” in the media. leidmedien.de explains how to get...
Saudi Arabia: Reaching the Line of Gender Equality
While saluting the decision of Saudi Arabia to send two female athletes to the London Olympics, the Saudi Women Driving deplores the fact that Saudi women cannot drive. “The whole world has been watching Saudi women and their triumphant appearance at the Olympics, and most news stories about them mention that...
Nicaragua: A Blogger's Olympic Dream
Mildred Largaespada from the blog 1001 trópicos [es] shares her “Olympic dream.” In 1984, Mildred was part of Nicaragua's National Junior Basketball Team and participated in the Central American Games of that year in Guatemala. Her dream was to make it to the Olympics, but after losing in Guatemala she...
London Olympic Games made in China
Beatrice from Ministry of Tofu puts together a set of infographic and reports on products related with London Olympic Games which are made in China.
Colombia: Gold for Cyclist Mariana Pajón
Colombians on Twitter anxiously awaited the performance of BMX cyclist Mariana Pajón. Hashtags like ORO (“gold”), #ÁnimoMariana (“Go Mariana”), or Mariana Pajón became local Trending Topics before and after Pajón won the gold medal. With this achievement, Colombia ratifies the country's historic performance at the this year's Olympics and now ranks...
Russia: USA's Hammon Leads Russia to Basketball Semis
Twitter user @zhenya_jane wrote on the U.S. native Becky Hammon‘s contribution to #London2012: “She's 35 years old, 168 cm tall. Becky Hammon is in the starting lineup of the Russian national basketball team. Thought they wouldn't take her.” In 2008, Hammon faced ridicule from Americans when she gained Russian citizenship...
Cyprus: First Ever Olympic Medal at London 2012
The London 2012 Olympics will be a landmark in Cyprus’ sport history. Twenty-two year old Pavlos Kontides, who is from Limassol, Cyprus, became the country's first ever Olympic medalist. Kontides won the silver medal at single-handed Laser class in Men's Sailing.
Colombia: Caterine Ibargüen Wins Silver in Triple Jump
This post is part of our Special Coverage of our London 2012 Games. During the afternoon of Sunday, August 5, Colombian Twitter users expressed their emotion, expectation and tension due to the performance of Caterine Ibargüen, who represents the country in long jump, high jump, and triple jump at the...
Funny Image of How Australian Newspaper Distinguishes Two Koreas
The 101 Great Goals site shared a scanned image showing how an Australian newspaper distinguishes two Koreas in its Olympics medal table. One was referred as ‘nice’ Korea, while other was named the ‘naughty’ one.
Latin America: Is 2012 the ‘Year of the Woman” at the Olympics?
The Americas Quarterly blog points out that although there is still a lot to do to end gender discrimination at the Olympics, “for the first time in history, every country competing in the London 2012 Olympics will have at least one female athlete, with many – notably in Latin America...
World: Nerd Olympics
When nerds follow the Olympic Games, a hashtag like #Nerdlympics is born. Find our favourite tweets in the hashtag here
Argentina: The Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and the Olympics
Lillie Langtry from the blog Memory in Latin America explains that the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo are getting into the spirit of the Olympics by “asking various Argentine sportspeople to feature in their latest video campaign.” Langtry shares a video where Carlo Retegui, the coach of the women's...
Jamaica: Looking Back
As the year draws to a close, Jamaica and the World looks back on the good, the bad and the ugly of 2008.
Jamaica: Olympians Call for End to Violence
As the Jamaican Olympic medalists implore their compatriots to “stop the violence”, A Fe Me Page Dis Iyah says: “I hope someone listens to them.”
China: 2008 Beijing Paralympics Ends
Allen blogs about the closing ceremony of 2008 Beijing Paralympics at the Fool's Mountain.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Poor Sportsmanship
“I think he forgot (that in) 2003 he failed several drug tests that questioned the validity of his achievements. Sometimes folks think what you are doing is what they are doing”: A Fe Me Page Dis Iyah is not impressed by former US sprinter Carl Lewis’ insinuations about Jamaican Olympic...
Jamaica: Too Much Free Time?
“Too much human resource seems to be wasting away, which is quite evident not only from Usain's reception crowd, but by the parties and dances that are kept every single night of the week”: Stunner's Afflictions has mixed feelings about Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt's homecoming.
Jamaica, Guyana: Bolt Welcomed Home
“The rain didn't stop Usain Bolt's return ‘back a yawd’. People lined the road from Norman Manley Airport all the way to the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston”: A Fe Me Page Dis Iyah reports on the Olympic Gold Medalist's triumphant return home, as do YardFlex.com and Guyana 360.
